The present invention relates to winch bars. More particularly, the present invention relates to winch bars for strap winches such as are used on flatbed trailers.
Flatbed trailers of various lengths, widths, and load capacities are used to transport materials of various types from one location to another, both on and off roadways.
Loads are usually secured to such flatbed trailers by one or more straps of woven webbing extending over a load from one side of the trailer to the other side. Each strap is tightened by being wound on a strap winch such as the strap winch 18 shown in FIGS. 1-3, mounted at one side of the trailer. Such a strap winch usually includes a ratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel 20 and a related pawl 22 on a spool 24, and a spool drive hub, or winch bar receiver 26, so that a winch bar can be used as a lever to turn the winch spool 24 and tighten the strap. The spool drive hub, or winch bar receiver 26 usually has two intersecting through-bores orthogonal to each other and to the axis of rotation 28 of the winch spool 24. The through-bores thus define four winch bar sockets 30 separated from one another by a quarter revolution of the winch bar receiver 26.
A strap 32 fastened to one side of the trailer is thrown over a load item on the trailer and the other end is laced through strap slots 34 on the winch spool 24. Such strap slots 34 and spools 24 may be of different types, such as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but are functionally similar. A spool drive engagement portion 36 of the winch bar is inserted into one of the winch bar sockets 30 in the winch drive hub, or receiver 26, and moved in a downward direction as seen in FIG. 3, winding the strap 32 around the spool 24 and tightening the strap 32 to hold the load item on the trailer. The winch bar sockets 30 are typically fashioned so that the spool drive engagement portion 36 of the winch bar, when inserted into one of these sockets, is perpendicular to the axis of rotation 28 of the winch spool. The spool ratchet mechanism, as shown in FIG. 1, holds the spool 34 to retain the tightened strap 32 after the winch bar has been moved in a downward direction.
A typical conventional winch bar 38, shown in FIG. 4, for use with a such a strap winch 18 may have a winch spool drive engagement portion 36, a lever arm portion 40, and a grip or handle portion 42. It may be a steel bar approximately 31-40 inches in length 44. The winch spool drive engagement portion 36 may be tapered and may typically have a length 46 of approximately 3½ to 4 inches, to mate with a typical strap winch 18. The drive engagement portion 36 is typically mounted at an offset angle 48 in the range of approximately 140 degrees to 170 degrees relative to a central longitudinal axis 50 of the lever arm portion 40.
On a typical winch bar 38 the offset angle 48 is defined adjacent the spool drive engagement portion 36, between it and the lever arm portion 40 of the winch bar. The offset angle 48 allows such a winch bar 38 to be used in two basic positions: angled up and angled down. This allows the winch bar to clear obstacles such as tires, trailer fenders, and boxes mounted on the sides of a trailer.
In order for a load securing strap 32 to be tightened on the strap winch 18, the spool 26 must be able to be turned at least a quarter rotation and then held by the ratchet mechanism, so that the winch bar can be inserted into the next socket 30 for further tightening. Often, due to obstacles such as tires, etc., mentioned above, the winch bar 38 cannot rotate the winch spool a quarter revolution without being changed from the angled down portion to the angled up position, or vice versa, in the same socket 30.
Use of a conventional winch bar 38 presents several hazards. The most important hazard is presented by use of the winch bar 38 in the “angled up” position as the winch bar 38 is shown in FIG. 5. If there is any misalignment of downward force on the winch bar handle 42, to one side or the other, the drive engagement portion 36 of the bar may slip in the winch bar socket 30 and twist down, in a pivoting action, and an uncontrolled conical rotation of the winch bar handle portion 42 thus suddenly occurs, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6. This often causes the winch bar user to fall towards the ground, potentially hitting his or her upper body or face against the trailer, the winch bar, a fender of the trailer, or even the ground. The user could thus sustain serious physical injury.
The next most important risk with use of conventional winch bars 38 is that the tip of the spool drive engagement portion 36 may slip out radially from engagement in the socket 30 of the spool drive hub 26. Although typically a winch bar 38 has small ridges around its drive engagement portion 36, sometimes they are not adequate to keep the winch bar 38 engaged in a winch bar socket 30. As a result the winch bar 38 can slip out when the user's pull on the winch bar to turn the winch spool 24 includes a great enough component directed radially outward along the spool drive engagement portion 36. Such slipping out may cause the winch bar user to fall towards the ground, potentially striking various portions of himself or herself against the winch bar, trailer, etc., with a possibility of substantial injury.
Another considerable risk in use of a conventional winch bar 38 is the downward slope of the handle portion 42 when the winch bar 38 is used in the most commonly used position, angled down. As the user applies downward pressure on the winch bar handle portion 42, he or she tends to be pushing his or her grip along the lever arm portion 40 and towards the outer end of the handle portion 42, instead of only perpendicular to it. This has a tendency of causing the user's grip to slip along the handle portion 42, causing the user to fall towards the winch bar, trailer, and ground, thereby often sustaining injury.
A number of prior winch bars or winch bar-like devices have not adequately addressed the above-described risks.
Gaudreault, et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0215848 discloses a leverage tool having a pair of opposite end portions, one of which can be engaged with a strap spool drive, and the other of which is adapted to engage a load binder handle to operate the load binder.
Murdock, et al., U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0074443 discloses a strap winch and a crank assembly removably connected to the strap winch.
Boydstun, IV, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,897 discloses a winch bar providing an indication when a sufficient force has been applied.
Treat, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,847 discloses a winding apparatus including a crank that is used to quickly and conveniently wind cargo straps into coils for storage.
Guenther, U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,143 discloses a speed handle, or crank used to rotate the strap spool of a strap winch on a flat bed trailer.
Im, U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,939 discloses a winch bar that has an insertion portion of non-circular cross-section, typically square or hexagonal, adapted to fit in similar openings of a winch spool so that the winch bar cannot twist relative to the winch drum. Im, U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0091368 discloses a winch bar that may have an insertion portion of any of several different shapes adapted to fit in openings of a winch spool.
Perkins, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,872 discloses a crank to drive a spool of a strap winch, to wind a strap on the spool for storage when the strap is not being used to secure a load.
Childers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,339 also discloses a crank handle for speed winding a strap back onto a strap winch for storage.
Guenther, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,697 discloses a winch bar having two positions of stable engagement with a strap winding winch.
Mosley, U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,470 discloses another strap winding crank for winding a strap on a strap winch for storage.
Mocci, U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,637 discloses yet another crank for winding a strap onto a winch for storage.
Sumner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,437 discloses a winch bar for use with ratcheting winches to tighten straps for securing cargo on truck beds. The winch bar is provided at one end with a hooked end member and a crank handle portion to assist in the rapidly winding a strap secured to the winch spool.
Depoy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,488 discloses a winch bar having a locking mechanism for securing the driving end portion of a winch bar in a drive socket of a winch.
Whiteman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,829 discloses an extensible winch bar for use in tightening the straps used for the securing loads on trucks.
Chan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,565 discloses a winch bar with a winch spool-engaging end portion shaped to engage a spool of a strap winch securely and to resist unintentional disengagement under strap-winding force.
Edwards, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,154 discloses a winch bar for use on a strap winch. A second end of the bar includes a latch for engaging and operating an over-center locking load binder.
Flippin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,838,281 shows a winch bar with an end portion shaped to mate with a corresponding socket in a winch.
Thus, there is a need for a winch bar that addresses and can reduce risks of using a conventional winch bar, including the risks mentioned above.